tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58903102012-02-20T20:50:38.714-05:00Lowering standards since 1997!TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.comBlogger5671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-21863701943661615332012-02-20T20:46:00.001-05:002012-02-20T20:50:38.725-05:00

Most of the best things in my life started from unlikely beginnings, and this is a story about one of those things.I met Jack in 1994, the year that began the final phase of my downward spiral into depression. Although he came into my life when I was at my lowest and craziest, Jack saw something in me worth getting to know, and the oddest friendship was born. We had nothing in common except

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-61465778179666318772012-02-13T10:10:00.004-05:002012-02-13T12:22:43.587-05:00

The day after WolfBlock announced its dissolution, I was stopped at the corner of 17th and Market by a young man who was soliciting donations for underprivileged children somewhere in the world. I've gotten used to this kind of thing; I evidently appear extremely caring to these kind of people and since I never have the heart to cut off their spiel with a time-saving, "No, thank you", they've got

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-64935736192407041852012-02-06T10:13:00.003-05:002012-02-06T21:50:25.726-05:00

The Indigo Girls once asserted that the hardest lessons to learn were the least complicated. I'd say the same is true of questions. The most difficult question I ever had to answer was posed by a stranger and was composed of exactly five words.The stranger was a psychologist, the very person to whom my doctor had sent me. She was exactly what you'd expect a psychologist to be: middle-aged,

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-50360298809201871732012-01-30T10:04:00.003-05:002012-01-30T10:16:30.776-05:00

Sometimes change takes years, and sometimes it happens in a moment, when you cross a line. This is a story about one of those moments and one of those lines. It's not a pleasant story, and it's taken me more than fifteen years to discuss it, but it has a happy ending, although it was a long road to get there.Back in my early-to-mid-twenties I was both closeted and still refusing the deal with the

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-7257067770046868592012-01-23T15:19:00.001-05:002012-01-23T15:24:10.621-05:00

Despite a history of chronic uncertainly and endless self-questioning, I have often tended to rise to positions of leadership. Not because of overwhelming charisma or undimmed optimism, but because I always have a plan. I've twice served as a foreman on a jury, for no better reason than I was good at organizing discussion and keeping things on track. It's amazing how readily people will respond

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-37713597989066692112012-01-16T11:30:00.002-05:002012-01-16T11:38:35.940-05:00

While I'm "married" to a fairly stable, reliable person, I've always been strangely attracted to those aren't. As I kid I was uncertain, rules-obsessed and constantly worried about what tomorrow might bring, and sure enough, my childhood best friend was brash, disobedient, and acted completely without regard for the future. When I was with him, I got to sample that attitude. I can't say his way

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-56972314514853629062012-01-09T10:01:00.004-05:002012-01-10T18:58:55.924-05:00

When I heard that the World Trade Center had been destroyed, I thought first not of the people killed but of the only time I'd ever been atop one of the towers. Maybe that's self-absorbed, but I've always thought it's easier to grasp the personal than the universal. Like art, death makes a connection more quickly and intimately when it's personal. When one person – your aunt, a friend, a friend's

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-21904524005867460562012-01-02T12:45:00.002-05:002012-01-02T12:52:43.843-05:00

So I've decided to write my memoirs and post them, one chapter at a time, every Monday. Right now you are probably asking yourself:If you aren't famous, why are you writing a memoir? And why should anyone care?I'm writing for two reasons. First, it's damned enjoyable. Those who claim to write have to actually write stuff, and this is my stuff. Second, I'm not a sharing sort of person, and that

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-38719231629497557782011-12-08T21:07:00.002-05:002011-12-08T21:37:02.079-05:00

Some say that even bad pizza is good, but I think bad pizza is truly disgusting. I feel the same way about love songs, but when they're good...man, they deliver like Domino's. So I decided to list a few of my favorites:- As The World Falls Down (Written and performed by David Bowie)- Revolution Earth (Written and performed by the B-52s)- Baby's Coming Back (Written by Andy Sturmer, performed by

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-53807208407263759492011-11-29T08:28:00.002-05:002011-11-29T08:41:25.862-05:00

I met Cathy Connery when I was 25, and I can tell you I am now a long way from 25. We worked together at a law firm in Philadelphia, and the day we met she was wearing this really sharp suit. It was all wrong for a law firm in the 90s, but it told me that we were going to get along just fine. When she saw me wear a NARAL t-shirt on dress-down Friday, also the wrong thing for a law firm in the 90s

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-32639342340954554162011-10-27T21:06:00.003-04:002011-10-27T21:33:47.219-04:00

This evening, Dan and I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a couple of years, a woman I'd met playing Ultimate. We'll call her Angela. Angela's an artsy type, and the kind who, ten years ago, made me a bit uncomfortable. She ekes out a living doing whatever is available, and views whatever job she holds this week as only a means to sustaining her passion for the arts. I always viewed that sort as

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-5158799200033110672011-09-19T12:55:00.002-04:002011-09-19T13:05:39.472-04:00

As you may know, Lenore Skenazy earned fame (and, in some circles, infamy) when she allowed her 9-year-old to take a NY subway by himself. I'm not going to get into the wisdom of that decision in this post, but the whole thing caught my attention and so I read her blog now and again. Recently, Lenore posted this. I'll admit to being a bit cantankerous when it comes to mobile phones. I don't think

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-75868496881249502912011-09-14T15:34:00.002-04:002011-09-14T15:43:28.943-04:00

It's pretty amazing to me the way that, in eight years, support for same-sex marriage has gone from about two-thirds opposed to a narrow majority in favor.Still, something from the article gives me pause:Barbara Von Aspern loves her daughter, "thinks the world" of the person her daughter intends to marry and believes the pair should have the same legal rights as anyone else. It pains her, but Von

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-27631898078686353652011-08-18T10:18:00.002-04:002011-08-18T10:37:20.067-04:00

I don't want to give this too much oxygen - I have a bigger point to make - but as you may have heard, Christine O'Donnell walked out of an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan because he asked her a question about something that's in her book. Since, however, this blog is not to my knowledge read by thousands of people, I'll indulge a bit. I don't care what Christine O'Donnell does; as far as I'm

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-58476778774969851382011-07-29T15:21:00.003-04:002011-07-29T15:48:03.923-04:00

(The following post contains mild spoilers. You are duly warned.)So I've been watching "True Blood", and by now I feel qualified to say that the show just doesn't work...except as a soap opera, and even there it's got problems. Here's why I think so:1) The characters never change no matter what happens. Sookie has been betrayed on multiple occasions by Erik Northman, and yet she insists upon

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-83086080218578959432011-07-11T13:53:00.005-04:002011-07-11T17:38:11.131-04:00

In case you didn't know, Star Trek: The Next Generation has been added to Netflix "Instant View" queue, which is neat, so I have been watching it. Sad to say, I just can't enjoy it as I used. The characters are one-dimensional, the story resolutions contrived, and the almost complete lack of dramatic tension is just, well, dull. That being said, yesterday I watched my favorite episode, "Who

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-52033489464231525852011-06-30T10:55:00.002-04:002011-06-30T11:10:58.149-04:00

I was clued into these reviews of Season One of MTV's The Real World...remember that? The great-grandmom of reality TV? I can't stop reading them.Now, let me say right off the bat that, like the libbie I am, I used to be contemptuous of reality TV until I figured out the secret to watching it: don't sympathize with anyone on the cast, no matter what. These fools have agreed to make their lives my

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-78778174969382420292011-06-04T14:52:00.008-04:002011-06-20T16:07:28.843-04:00

Saw the Go-Go's in New York last night, and I am still flying high over it. Following a tasty black-and-white milkshake, Dan and I went to Irving Plaza and picked up our fancy VIP badges that gave us access to the meet-and-greet. I should at this point mention that the ticket taker told us bluntly the badges were just for show; an unimpressive white card was the important thing for getting into

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-70226337821043191862011-05-09T15:06:00.004-04:002011-05-10T10:20:00.975-04:00

Being a the pop-culture idiot, I'm just now getting clued into this Rebecca Black, "Friday" stuff. If you even more of a PC idiot than I, watch the video. Yes, I know the lyrics are insipid, the music forgettable, and the bridge puzzling. (I wasn't aware that passing a school bus on the highway was worthy of even a line in a song, much less three or four.) However, is "Friday" really

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-47688367464220893582011-04-18T21:11:00.002-04:002011-04-18T21:26:42.147-04:00

This article is dated, but it's infuriating nonetheless.A classic example of "scope creep." Personally, if I am on a plane I don't care if my seatmate has cash, a pound of blow and a bag full of child pornography; as long as he doesn't have a gun or a bomb, we're five by five. I thought it was the job of the TSA to ensure that said gun or bomb never made it on the plane, but the experience of

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-72633147944749580412011-03-31T12:51:00.005-04:002011-03-31T13:01:44.836-04:00

I am pleased to announce that Dan and I will be working with literary agent Rebecca Strauss of McIntosh and Otis on getting a book deal for "The Duchess of the Shallows." Those of you who have read TDotS (that's our clever acronym for the story) have our eternal thanks for your wonderful feedback, and we promise you a signed copy should the thing actually make it into print. Those who haven't...

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-52705808181943282062011-03-16T15:04:00.001-04:002011-03-16T15:07:52.127-04:00

I'm going to complain about stuff people say; specifically, "I don't have time."You hear these words all the time, "I don't have time for [fill in name of important activity]." This is often, but not always, used in the context of work, but in my view this has as little value there as anywhere else. Saying you don't have time = you don't want to do this, ever.I think about the myriad of

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-89187695701367842832011-02-17T22:33:00.004-05:002011-02-18T08:09:47.875-05:00

As some of you know, I have a serious problem with "The Wizard of Oz." I like the story well enough, mind you, but let's not kid ourselves that it's about a young woman learning where home is. Ohhhh no. Let me tell you what that tale is about.What is the very first thing Dorothy does upon arriving in Oz? No, it's not talk to some overly cheery small people. She kills the Wicked Witch of the East,

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-25882042792066314792011-02-03T06:12:00.003-05:002011-02-03T06:29:45.134-05:00

No, this isn't a post about religion but about belief in general. Jeff Wise, whom I read occasionally, had an interesting post about the erroneous belief that vaccinations cause autism in children, but I think his words apply to other baseless beliefs:The anti-vaccine movement is not an isolated case. Rather, it is an example of a problem that is endemic in the public health sphere. Scientists

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-61927541545502211122011-01-21T16:15:00.003-05:002011-01-21T16:33:50.266-05:00

I'm going to bitch about Babylon 5, so here's your escape hatch.Byron, the rogue PsiCop, was quite possibly the most annoying character I've ever run across in sci fi. (Keep in mind that I've been exposed to Deanna Troi.) He shows up on Babylon 5 in the fifth season little more than a beggar, asking for permission to set up a colony of rogue telepaths in direct violation of Earth law. Captain

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-13582192394399862442011-01-02T22:57:00.002-05:002011-01-02T23:14:46.305-05:00

More craziness in Congress...the Republicans must once again be in charge of the House or Representatives. Once the anti-flag-burning amendment is introduced, I'll be certain of it.Reading the Constitution aloud is just a harmless bit of silliness, compared to this truly useless measure:[House Republicans] say they will require every new bill to contain a statement by the legislator who wrote it,

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-21481996275642285972010-12-23T10:09:00.002-05:002010-12-23T10:19:06.795-05:00

As some of you dear readers might be aware, I am fairly politically active; I vote religiously, follow the issues, and donate frequently to political campaigns. One of those campaigns was that of Bob Casey Jr, back in 2006, and ever since he sends me Christmas cards.** Every year. Even though I know I am just one of a zillion people on a mailing list, I find this oddly endearing. So, this year, I

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-1263668437817305192010-12-10T23:48:00.002-05:002010-12-10T23:59:07.715-05:00

Yes, I am writing you at the last possible moment of this day. Better almost late than actually late, I suppose.For me, 2010 has been a hard, hard year. Layoff, layoff, injury, illness, stress, and death. And then, of course, today. I guess today doesn't bother you in the Great Beyond, but it sure as hell bugs me. Hey, are there chocolate-covered Nutter Butters in the Great Beyond? I sure can't

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-31578056877392998812010-12-02T16:39:00.002-05:002010-12-02T17:18:13.384-05:00

There's a motivational poster that reads, "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!" This is of course accompanied by a photo of a suitably adorable kitten clinging to a rope. Something always bothered me about that message, but only in the last few days have I come to understand why. Now you get to understand, too.Life is tough sometimes. OK, alot of the time, and contrary to

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-21623877711529559042010-11-15T08:10:00.002-05:002010-11-15T08:15:50.787-05:00

This piece by Dahlia Lithwick is a great chronicle of the way the US moved from a nation that used torture surreptitiously to a nation that uses it proudly. Well, at least we no longer have to outsource our torture to nations like Syria or Pakistan; we can employ good old American torturers! Now I'm wondering if the CIA will begin training torturers, or if universities can begin offering graduate

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-43488563685044697742010-11-10T21:28:00.003-05:002010-11-10T21:32:54.262-05:00

This is terribly dated, I know, but I have always had a soft spot for Frankie Avalon in "Grease." It's not that he's attractive (although he is), but he's just the kind of guardian angel I'd like. If you remember, Frenchy wishes she had a guardian angel who could tell her if dropping out of high school to be a beautician was the right choice. Then, hey presto! Frankie Avalon appears with a

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-32115283250331406312010-11-08T12:31:00.002-05:002010-11-08T12:46:27.872-05:00

...to talk about bad candy. Here goes:Circus Peanuts: Great gods, but these things are not only disgusting but disturbing. What are they made from? Why do they squeak slightly when one bites into them? How does anyone stomach them? I'll never know.Mary Janes: They supposedly taste like molasses and peanut butter, and I guess there's a certain charm to the old-fashioned Mary Jane girl on the

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-12919624558110622722010-11-05T11:39:00.002-04:002010-11-05T11:45:41.865-04:00

Obviously, November 2 was painful for we libbies, and there's been much discussion about whether or not it was the ACA that cost House Democrats their majority. My answer: So what if it did? Crafting good policy (and that's what the ACA is) is why we send these people to Washington in the first place, not to keep their damned majority. Obviously, you can't govern if you don't win, but there are

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-35129616890016074932010-10-21T10:52:00.002-04:002010-10-21T13:34:10.538-04:00

Working on a college campus as I do, I see a lot of signs. Free this one, impeach that one, save these other things…every liberal notion you can imagine has a sign somewhere at Penn. That usually doesn’t bother me, but this week my eye was caught by some banners extolling the virtues of consent. Here are some examples:- Sex without Consent isn’t Sex- The Joy of Consent- Consent is an

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-90544631674029319242010-09-25T20:21:00.002-04:002010-09-25T20:24:46.933-04:00

I'd heard Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" before, but only when I played it for Dan did I realize two things: 1) I really like the song; and 2) the song is downright weird. Some of #2 has to do with Kate Bush herself, of course; watching this video I just can't stop wondering how many heads in jars she has in her basement.Dan, of course, proceeded to analyze the song in a musical sense. I just

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-61205050114411915132010-09-14T21:24:00.002-04:002010-09-14T21:34:26.506-04:00

I've been looking over this Web site for a half-hour now, and I still can't believe it. Take a look. Go ahead, I'll wait.It seems I find something flabbergasting on each page. Like the ready-made missing child poster, or the USB that contains that poster, along with everything else the authorities will need to identify your child's decomposed corpse when it turns up in a ditch. And then there are

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-56595188006159190552010-09-12T22:54:00.002-04:002010-09-12T23:04:46.119-04:00

Bruce Schneier is my current security crush, and he has something interesting to say about parents and perceived threats vs. real risk.I can't speak to any of this as an expert, but when Pennsylvania tightened its regulations regarding what age/size children must use car safety seats...well, you could have heard the howls of protest from Michigan. I imagine many of those howlers are in favor of

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-46353309493408236092010-09-06T22:50:00.002-04:002010-09-06T23:07:33.582-04:00

As many know, I am not a fan of security theater, a coin adopted by Bruce Schneier to describe the song-and-dance that passes for procedures. The fiction moves into the realm of fantasy in terms of airline security, and I have learned to choke that down for the most part, but this takes the cake. I have serious doubts that any of the nonsense we endure at airports makes us any safer, and I am

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-8854511131211059442010-08-30T11:11:00.002-04:002010-08-30T11:29:18.148-04:00

I haven't updated this blog in ages because Blogger kept telling me I had to update this and transition that, and when I looked at the eye-crossing directions I thought, "Uh...Dan?" But Blogger has left off, evidently deciding I have had enough, so I am back.Ezra Klein, whom I read regularly, has an interesting piece today explaining why in politics party matters more than individuals. Think that

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-70104384778775475032010-03-14T21:50:00.001-04:002010-03-14T21:51:31.755-04:00

Or is Glenn Beck, of all people, suddenly defending the separation of church and state?Good gods, but the world has turned upside down. Send him an ACLU membership form before he recovers his lunacy.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-58791041671321695372010-01-26T09:15:00.002-05:002010-01-26T09:22:40.983-05:00

This article makes me wonder just how much has changed.Remember when we were told that indicting important people for these crimes would make Republicans stonewall health care reform? Well, now that Democrats themselves have fucked up said reform, I think it's high time we penned arrest warrants for Yoo and Bybee and Cheney and all those other folks who happily and shamelessly created a culture

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-66498681930474911202010-01-16T23:55:00.002-05:002010-01-17T00:02:14.603-05:00

Performed both Friday and Saturday night in Marlton, and I totally earned enough to pay for my Friday visit to the doctor and the Saturday pad see-ew I ate before the show. That's living, my friends. Friday night was plain awful. The audience was as not into me as possible and drunk in the bargain, so my ten minutes on stage seemed like three months. (To the audience as well, I am sure.) Saturday

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-3612995520361375152010-01-10T02:54:00.003-05:002010-01-10T03:04:05.969-05:00

I performed in NE Philadelphia tonight. I guess it was technically yesterday, but in my mind the day has not turned until I sleep and wake up when it's light. So there. Anyway, I was sick as a dog today, so I medicated myself heavily so's I could climb on stage and perform adequately. The audience was attentive but not very into any of the comedians, but I did all right. Can I tell you that

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-85758945367814599692010-01-05T23:40:00.003-05:002010-01-05T23:45:01.071-05:00

If you aren't reading Bruce Schneier, you should be. He is a security expert and a noted critic of the TSA and its various "security theater" measures. This is in my view one of the best things he's ever said:Only one carry on? No electronics for the first hour of flight? I wish that, just once, some terrorist would try something that you can only foil by upgrading the passengers to first class

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-28187544217676332122009-12-24T09:32:00.002-05:002009-12-24T09:42:59.379-05:00

Xmas is the only thing that makes me look forward to January. Oh, indeed. *This being the holidays, I thought it was an appropriate time to say that I dislike sweaters. Not the concept of sweaters, mind you; I just don't like them on me. They always look stretched or saggy or something. I have exactly one sweater than has ever looked good on me, and I rarely wear it for fear that it will stretch,

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-22690856775601031462009-12-10T18:55:00.003-05:002009-12-10T19:13:53.532-05:00

It's another year since you left us, and so much has happened I don't know where to begin. Lots has changed, and mostly for the better. I'll probably forget to mention something, but as I am sure you have Internet access where you are, you probably know it all anyway.Feanor and Poppy are on their way to the Land of Parenthood, and your sister is in the Empire of Expanded Families. So there are

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-75584185090109061412009-12-01T09:10:00.003-05:002009-12-01T09:18:04.017-05:00

...WolfBlock, my erstwhile employer, has finally breathed its last. The firm is out of money, and since I don't work for free (except on stage), I'm out of there and out of a job. So in mere moments I will browse to the Web site of the Commonwealth of PA and make my first-ever application for unemployment benefits.Last night, Dan and I had the following "Life of Brian" conversation:Me: I've been

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-42534812290910553382009-11-13T09:22:00.002-05:002009-11-13T09:26:04.882-05:00

...but today, I tip. Apparently, the RNC will no longer offer its employees an insurance plan that covers abortions. I find this pleasingly consistent of them. After all, given how the Republicans are rupturing themselves over Stupak amendments and that nonsense, the least they can do is Stupak their own damned insurance policy. Besides, given how many Republicans are gay, this change will likely

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-91603387399557968892009-11-03T11:48:00.003-05:002009-11-03T11:59:14.410-05:00

I got about my day blissfully unaware that the local Transit Workers Union is, once again, on strike. Instead of going through this folderol every three years, maybe someday the commonwealth will require mandatory binding arbitration. Until then, folderol. I'm just glad that the strike directly affects neither Dan nor I.Voted this morning on the way to work, and as expected, the place was a

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-13101769901363644822009-10-30T15:41:00.002-04:002009-10-30T15:48:52.765-04:00

Amazing dexterity! I was at the hardware store yesterday, inquiring about a replacement light bulb...one of those ring-shaped ones. As the not-unattractive young man who was assisting me took one box from the rack, two others fell in rapid succession, and he caught them - BAM! BAM! - with one hand. My reaction: Damn.Unmitigated gall! Dan and I were at a Chinese restaurant not far from another

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-55695766117304035872009-10-22T23:09:00.002-04:002009-10-22T23:19:01.356-04:00

Right now I am eating biscuits and chasing them with chocolate, because I saved up the calories all day and I am damn well going to spend them before bed. I am also rewarding myself for a pretty decent performance at a seriously dive bar in Norristown tonight. About half the crowd wasn't paying attention, but of those that were, I totally got good laughs. I even got heckled by this woman who

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-33519026044218902772009-10-20T09:24:00.003-04:002009-10-20T09:27:16.720-04:00

As I walked by City Hall this morning, I saw a confused-looking man hailing a well-dressed man. The conversation:Confused man: Hey, do you know the way to - Well-dressed man: Sir, I am an Englishman just set foot in Philadelphia. I don't know the way to doodleysquat.Next time someone asks me for directions in London, I am saying the same thing, except I won't claim to be an Englishman. That works

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-38189042660587086382009-10-19T14:37:00.002-04:002009-10-19T14:42:27.357-04:00

Busy autumn!Friday 10/22: Francescas at 1003 E Main St in Norristown, PA. 8:30pm, admission is freeFriday, 11/13: Humor in the Hardbacks at the William Way Community Center at 1315 Spruce Street in Phila, PA. 7:30 pm, admission is $15 or whatever you can pay. (It's a fundraiser for Giovanni's Room.) Learn more at Kelli Dunham's LJ. Friday, 11/20: Comedy Cabaret in NE Philadelphia. Shows usually

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-17403762000760094012009-10-09T09:31:00.001-04:002009-10-09T09:33:52.309-04:00

Josh Middleton, blogging for Philadelphia City Paper, comes through. Now I just can't f*ck it up.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-44714147242525806822009-10-08T13:45:00.002-04:002009-10-08T13:50:35.696-04:00

I saw some neat things today that I thought I would share.- A man on 12th Street who was leaving a newspaper on every doorstep. He had the papers at one hand, the plastic bags at the other, and he bagged and dropped these papers with machinelike rapidity. I couldn't look away. - Two people were walking dogs, one large and white and the other small and fluffy. (The dogs, not the walkers.) They

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-89768005870014142572009-10-01T14:07:00.002-04:002009-10-01T14:26:47.642-04:00

I found out that Thalia is the muse of comedy, and she's been a naughty gal lately. Last night I dedicated two hours to writing material - set aside the time, stayed in, closeted myself in the spare bedroom with the door shut - and Thalia never put in an appearance. This morning as I was on my way to work she pulled up in a blaze of trumpets and started dictating, so I had to rush to the mostly

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-65155069855561026572009-09-28T11:56:00.002-04:002009-09-28T11:58:24.335-04:00

Sorry for the poor quality; there was serious club lighting going on there.BTW, Christopher Ciccone was awfully grim-looking for a guy whose claim to fame is ratting out his famous sister. I'm just sayin'. Not that I wouldn't do the same to a famous relative. I'm just waiting for one of my own siblings to become a celebrity so I can do a tell-all book and then judge a gay talent competition.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-85444889163926540862009-09-27T00:33:00.002-04:002009-09-27T00:45:07.570-04:00

Well, I competed against three other comedians in the Gayborhood Games but did not win. (I don't know how I ranked in the competition, either; the judges did not disclose that information.) The winning comedian, Jess Carpenter, deserved his victory; his set was a nice intersection of quality material and commanding delivery, and as soon as he left the stage I knew he was going to win. Yay Jess!I

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-53703927013522907812009-09-17T10:28:00.002-04:002009-09-17T10:39:38.564-04:00

Dan and I were at the SuperFresh at 10th & South last night, looking at Mrs. Butterworth syrup and noting that the bottle was now plastic instead of glass. We weren't interested in buying it, mind you, but we were commenting on how much the bottle looked like the female Changeling from "Deep Space Nine." (UltimateSean gets the original credit for that comparison, by the way.) Anyway, along comes

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-84431445347126038062009-09-04T12:50:00.003-04:002009-09-04T12:53:38.904-04:00

Listen to an archived episode of Radio Times (from September 2) about the investigation into CIA interrogation techniques. Scott Horton totally schools Edward Turzanski, who does all but admit that he thinks that torture is legally defensible under the proper circumstances. If you agree with Turzanski you won't like the episode; if you don't, you will love it!

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-20759222071544148622009-09-03T11:33:00.002-04:002009-09-03T11:44:51.724-04:00

I have a total crush on Sarah Palin, but it's nothing sexual. She's cute, all right, but her life is what really turns me on. She's a reality TV show just waiting to happen, and I want to direct it! Vanity Fair is running an article by Levi Johnston about the former governor, and I think I am going to buy it. The more scurrilous the gossip, the more closely I will read. Yum!Oh, If you're

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-36417695624680929762009-08-28T09:46:00.002-04:002009-08-28T10:02:37.938-04:00

They are tasty even at 9:30 am. It's true.Got our dining room/powder room/hallway painted, finally, and I love it. Light blue for most of it, a few violet accent walls, and some purple trim. Did the powder room entirely in violet, but after the first coat it looked really pink and I thought, "Did I just make Barbie's Powder Room?" This did not deter me from continuing because: a) I had faith in

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-46491548240139838512009-08-19T09:23:00.003-04:002009-08-19T09:42:05.076-04:00

Biased towards foolishness I'd say. Thanks to Poppy for the link to this great op-ed about right-wing craziness and the media. Here's my favorite excerpt:Conservatives have become adept at playing the media for suckers, getting inside the heads of editors and reporters, haunting them with the thought that maybe they are out-of-touch cosmopolitans and that their duty as tribunes of the people's

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-24640434784768728032009-08-18T09:49:00.003-04:002009-08-18T09:58:00.067-04:00

...you turn to brute force. Having been thumped in two successive elections, and facing long-delayed but much-needed reform, conservatives turned first to a massive campaign of disinformation. That campaign has been disappointingly effective, and we're likely to see the "public option" portion of health care reform dropped because of ridiculous claims of "death panels." Now, conservatives are

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-8885457923996788562009-08-17T09:17:00.002-04:002009-08-17T09:21:32.154-04:00

I frakkin' conquered the Comedy Cabaret in Marlton Friday night. Seriously. There were ten comics in all and I think I got louder and more consistent laughs than at least eight of them. This was particularly gratifying after the lackluster showing I made last spring. When I got off stage I received many congratulatory handshakes and even a hug from a woman I didn't know, and the next morning my

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-10550054276329739642009-07-27T10:47:00.003-04:002009-07-27T10:54:43.131-04:00

You have to check out this RedState.com post about Sarah Palin and her "game-changing" resignation. It reads like a David Sedaris essay, except the author isn't away of just how funny it is. This is my favorite part:Of all of the reasons Sarah is stepping down over, the one big reason, in my mind, is her love of country. Her deep patriotism. Her sense of duty.So if Palin had done what voters

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-45670740533729502582009-07-27T10:17:00.001-04:002009-07-27T10:19:52.604-04:00

Check out my new Web site, courtesy of UltimateSean.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-24716540942985990482009-07-23T13:33:00.002-04:002009-07-23T13:43:00.499-04:00

Yes, the City of Philadelphia is going to have to look elsewhither for its lousy 51 bucks, 'cause my ticket is as dead as Sarah Palin's political future.I got to the PPA at 12:30, checked in, and then made myself comfortable to wait. There were tons of people there, but I was so engrossed in writing material for my next show and reading the new David Sedaris book that I was fine waiting. I was

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-19143074787353559592009-07-22T16:15:00.002-04:002009-07-22T16:33:51.440-04:00

I've begun to notice, and be annoyed by, the overuse of the word "creepy", which has become synonymous for "anything I don't like." To me, creepy things are scary and/or dangerous, which does not, for example, apply to that dorky guy who hit on you at the bar. He may be irritating, uncute and pathetic, but he's not creepy unless you have compelling reason to think he's got a jar for your head in

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-52914891117707184872009-07-16T09:31:00.002-04:002009-07-16T09:51:47.726-04:00

First, I have to share my current favorite YouTube video. Second, I'm at long last going to comment on Twitter. I never really had a strong opinion of this until I actually tried to read some tweets and found them incredibly annoying. My reaction had nothing to do with the content of said tweets but the mode of communication. I have said previously that I feel we are too connected these days, and

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-81483184744047216502009-07-06T09:47:00.002-04:002009-07-06T10:07:49.687-04:00

I have to tell you that I find Sarah Palin increasingly intriguing, and when the dust settles and the books have been written I'm going to read 'em. Obviously, everyone's heard she's stepping down as Alaska governor, for reasons she didn't quite articulate and no one is really sure. Slate's Bruce Reed points out that this is symptomatic of present-day Republicans:What makes her sudden resignation

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-57858551820117262742009-06-29T11:30:00.002-04:002009-06-29T11:53:06.137-04:00

That's what this weekend was. Thusly:Thursday night**: UltimateFriday night: RPGSaturday afternoon: UltimateSaturday night: RPGSunday morning: UltimateThe combination of those two in my life throws off every Internet geek test I've ever taken.All that Ultimating meant that a) I was eating like crazy all weekend; and b) I was sore as hell. B was particularly acute because Sunday morning's game was

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-91427590335098473892009-06-10T12:51:00.000-04:002009-06-10T12:52:29.577-04:00

Some of those who remember you well are getting together tonight, and we will think (and speak) of you. and I'll raise a glass, although it may contain only Diet Coke.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-13886428387213470882009-06-08T12:30:00.003-04:002009-06-08T12:42:55.845-04:00

I have posted the vids of my performance at Gayety, the event that commemorated the closing of Joe Coffee Bar. As you will see, it was a fun crowd and I had alot of fun performing. And I got to open for Deirdre Flint...eat it, bitches!Wolf Block is now officially dead, although a few of the employees - me included - have been asked to stay through the summer to attend to the burial. So I spend

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-67888691645846000022009-05-26T14:42:00.002-04:002009-05-26T14:51:08.939-04:00

Milestone the First: WolfBlock closes its doors today, although I confess they made me a pretty good deal to stay on through the summer so I will not join the ranks of the unemployed until September. I may, however, become one of the 47 million uninsured Americans, because WB is closing the group health plan. That means no COBRA, no nothing. Back to the good old American universal health care

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-91427608156249320842009-05-21T15:59:00.003-04:002009-05-21T16:01:23.537-04:00

I am totally digging Toni Basil's outfit in this video. Electric blue, boxy, with an over-the-top hat...ooh la la! Anyone who wears this outfit to my Halloween party automatically wins a prize. Fuck the vote! Right in the mouth.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-63449157060245138312009-05-19T09:22:00.001-04:002009-05-19T09:25:09.936-04:00

Evidently, Michael Steele thinks that four months is plenty of time to forget eight disastrous years.WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele insists the GOP has embarked on a new chapter and says it now must offer genuine solutions for the ailing country."The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over. It is done," Steele said in remarks

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-13168461240145923052009-05-15T15:34:00.000-04:002009-05-15T15:40:11.158-04:00

For the last few years we've all seen "WWJD" emblazoned on shirts, buttons, etc., and if you're a Christian it seems a pretty good lens through which to view moral choices, right? Wrong, says prominent evangelical Christian Gary Bauer. Get this:“There are a lot of things Jesus wouldn’t do because he’s the son of God,” he said. “The more appropriate question is, ‘What is a follower of Jesus

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-38541481619246184252009-05-08T14:21:00.002-04:002009-05-08T14:30:42.044-04:00

...the Republicans can't even hold on to Joe the Plumber. Hopefully, he won't follow Snarlin' Arlen's example and switch to the Democratic Party, because I really don't want him on my side. WolfBlock is in its death throes, characterized by more angry emails about how the folks managing the wind-down don't care about the employees. Well, duh. Those people have jobs. Dan says I need to think about

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-87651815788264695332009-05-07T12:17:00.003-04:002009-05-07T12:21:23.714-04:00

As someone who used to regularly use the South Street Bridge, I was dismayed to learn that the city tore the thing down without deciding on what would replace it. I'm no municipal planner, and my event coordination experience is limited to two self-produced comedy shows, but I think I'd have done better. For example, I don't throw out my old sneakers until I have the new ones in hand,

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-53589458103783769752009-05-04T16:47:00.002-04:002009-05-04T16:56:38.490-04:00

My employers is mere weeks away from heaving its last breath, and now that the bigwigs have gone, the lower-ranked attorneys are bitching about the firm's dissolution via company-wide email. These messages are worth reading, let me tell you. Here are some choice excerpts:"...the abysmal failure of leadership and a few greedy lawyers unwilling to cut back on high compensation...""...we are all now

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-4731570381208857072009-04-28T17:54:00.002-04:002009-04-28T18:00:23.935-04:00

Two posts ago I mentioned my poor, poor coworker who complained about not getting a response to an emailed resume and my sadness that she had not yet seen the worst. (Or near the worst.) Sadly, I was correct, as she was complaining the other day about being kept waiting a half-hour for an interview that the interviewer skipped without notice.Sometimes I hate being right.Arlen Specter switches

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-29658150065397895092009-04-24T18:19:00.006-04:002009-04-24T20:58:39.543-04:00

Well, I was wrong. I thought I'd seen every bit of job-hunting craziness there was, but the universe has proven, once again, that even when you think you've seen the worst, there's always something just a little bit lower. I'm not going into details here, but let me say this: If you are contemplating taking a job with a major Center City law office, contact me first and tell me the name. If it is

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-62340533134217426122009-04-07T11:22:00.002-04:002009-04-07T11:29:56.670-04:00

As I previously mentioned, the company for which I work is not likely to outlast the milk in my refrigerator, so everyone's scrambling for work. As you may know, law firm people tend to stick with the firm for years if not decades, and some of them haven't job-hunted since Nixon was president. Today I heard one of those say she'd emailed her resume in response to a job posting and never got a

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-38367368660456902622009-04-02T11:50:00.001-04:002009-04-02T11:54:17.081-04:00

Yes, I was sick again for a show, but since there was no way I was skipping, I reached out to my friend Motrin and muddled through. I'm actually fairly pleased with my performance, but the audience was less so. Truth be told, they didn't much like any of the four of us, so I was in good company. The video should be available within a few days.Oh, and if you click on "My Photos" to the right you

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-45073997337419650212009-03-31T09:39:00.000-04:002009-03-31T09:43:42.728-04:00

Now that my resume is active on Monster.com again, I am getting bombarded with all sorts of job-hunting advice. Here's a doozy from CNN Money, in the form of a Q&A:How can you get someone's attention?We can go into billboards, sandwiches - that stuff only works once. It's only for one person who figures it out once, once in a city. If you're looking for fun stuff, we have this thing called the

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-3012985152201333592009-03-29T20:37:00.001-04:002009-03-29T20:38:13.952-04:00

Just a reminder...Fags and Hags at StirFeaturing Katie Kohler, Neil McGarry, Joanne Filan, and Janice Kamalski.Wednesday April 1, 10pm, 1705 Chancellor Street$5 admission ($2 off first drink)I will have 15-20 minutes, although I don't know when I'm going on. Can't wait!

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-22717901493175648392009-03-25T11:17:00.003-04:002009-03-25T16:47:39.136-04:00

I have put both the The Return of the 1-4-5 Show and Screwballs behind me, and now I am on to Fags & Hags on April 1. I feel kinda like a real comedian. Screwballs was fun, BTW, and the audience was ready to laugh but unforgiving. Didn't matter how good your last joke was; if this one wasn't working, you didn't get a peep outta them. Maybe that's how it should be, I don't know, but it sure was

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-27647930708259054842009-03-19T09:23:00.004-04:002009-03-19T09:25:50.032-04:00

And not for shooting twelve people in a mall or something. For comedy. Look!OK, it's not the New York Times, but any publicity is good as long as they spell your name right. Given how often my name gets mangled (McGarvey, McGarrity, McGorry, NeGary), I feel I'm well ahead of the curve.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-10260181607582448412009-03-18T09:50:00.002-04:002009-03-18T09:55:41.312-04:00

The Return of the 1-4-5 ShowFeaturing Neil McGarry, Joey Callahan, Katie Kohler, Carolyn Busa, Mike Eiswerth, and Samita PendseFriday, March 20, 7pm, 1100 Walnut Street$10 admissionScrewballsFeaturing Katie Kohler, Neil McGarry, and others.Tuesday, March 24, 8:30pm - ?, 208 W Biedler Road King of Prussia PANo admission but a two drink minimum.Fags and Hags at StirFeaturing Katie Kohler, Neil

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-16301691648691013812009-03-12T12:14:00.002-04:002009-03-12T12:20:40.876-04:00

You know you are a tax scofflaw when Michael Nutter, personally, calls you out. At your office. In the middle of the day.I kinda wish the mayor would call me out over something I'm doing wrong, like goofing off at work or discarding the parts of the Oreo I don't want to eat.** You can't buy that kind of publicity.**For those who don't know, I will, occasionally, remove one cookie side from the

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-45208787349226004692009-03-05T23:40:00.001-05:002009-03-05T23:41:55.242-05:00

My third show for this spring is...I'll leave you to decide if I am a fag or a hag. Or both.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-49680486085692422632009-02-27T09:50:00.001-05:002009-02-27T09:52:14.960-05:00

If you don't know about my show, looky looky.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-32264618808331733232009-02-20T11:05:00.002-05:002009-02-20T11:12:58.648-05:00

"Your cheeks are rosy."Admittedly, I take a dim view of conversation in a public restroom, but come on. The speaker was referring to what cold does to the human face, but really.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-50132241257520669332009-02-11T11:07:00.001-05:002009-02-11T11:08:42.084-05:00

Read no further if you fear BSG spoilers! (Or at least don't follow the link)The argument against Cylon alliance.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-52645547125417931182009-02-05T14:05:00.003-05:002009-02-05T14:14:33.031-05:00

Look, I understand why John McCain would turn to the "wisdom" of Joe the Plumber in the waning days of his campaign; I mean, when you're desperate you take some long shots. But why is the Republican Party still listening to this man? His name's not Joe. He isn't a plumber. He doesn't own a business. Not only would he not have paid more taxes under Obama's plan, he's apparently had trouble paying

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-23432209019611170032009-02-03T09:25:00.002-05:002009-02-03T09:29:17.772-05:00

Thanks to John. I think.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-48214040990699792562009-02-02T09:36:00.003-05:002009-02-02T09:49:36.428-05:00

Before I go into this, you have to know two things:1) From time to time I have spider dreams, in which arachnids (usually large and gross) feature prominently and I wake in a panic. 2) A drider is a AD&D monster that is a dark elf who pissed off the Demon Queen of Spiders and got cursed with a part-spider body. Picture a centaur except with a spider bottom and you've pretty much got it. OK, back

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-16295116471873999692009-01-28T15:14:00.000-05:002009-01-28T15:16:27.149-05:00

Ordinarily, I view the Sixes (like all Cylons) as sociopathic, overly religious douchebags, but on the gyro issue we are in full agreement.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890310.post-32370332096279683292009-01-20T12:30:00.001-05:002009-01-20T12:31:22.414-05:00

Just watched the swearing-in and the speech.I am so glad to be an American today.

TrackerNeilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13738193667346391605noreply@blogger.com0